​Q: The band started in 2006 which in band years is pretty old. Can you tell us about the history of Sepia?

A: Actually, the first incarnation of the band started a little earlier around 2003 when our singer Ryan was serving in Iraq. Ryan’s friend Brad, (also serving in Iraq) was sent an old broken down acoustic guitar by his wife. He and Ryan fixed it up and wrote tunes to pass the time. When they returned home, Ryan and Brad linked up with another guitar player named Chris and Sepia was born. The acoustic guitar has always been staple in our songwriting process and a cornerstone of our sound. Most of our song ideas start out with an acoustic guitar riff of some sort whether they end up being acoustic based or not. Over time, as our song writing was evolving, we decided we needed some drums to keep us in time and that was when Derek came in (somewhere around 2006/2007). About the same time Brad left for other ventures and Sepia was once again a trio with Ryan splitting time between acoustic, bass and vocals. Then in 2009 we brought on Colleen to take over bass duties from Ryan and that takes us to the Sepia you hear today. It was about that time we also started experimenting with some of our other alternative/electric rock influences and really started concentrating on the songwriting process. By then we had a stockpile of originals so we took the show on the road and two albums later…here we are!

Q: Having lived through the ’90s I was reminded of a lot of prominent rock bands that you might hear on the radio at the time. Do you feel your sound has a connection to ’90s rock?A: Being reminded of the ’90s is something we hear a lot about our sound and is something we have learned to embrace. The ’90s were pivotal for us growing up and the music of that time has always had a strong hold on us. Obviously bands like Nirvana, Weezer, and Faith No More…but with some other bands (new and old) thrown in for good measure (i.e. Husker Du, Alkaline Trio, and Dashboard Confessional). These days, ’90s alternative could be considered “classic rock” lol…so those bands seem to be making a comeback in places like Internet Radio and XM. We are hoping to lure in those listeners who enjoy ’90s era's nostalgia as much as we do.Q:Drop Dead, Gorgeous… is your second release. Can you talk about some of the themes, ideas and concepts that run through the album?A: Ryan prefers to leave themes up to the interpretation of the listener most times but there are definitely common threads on this album. Lyrically, there are a lot of analogies presented that draw connections between intangibles with objects in everyday life. He also loves to throw in a play on words from time to time…like in the tune “Blindside” -- “I’m on your side, your blindside.” With our first single “Marionette,” that same lyrical wordsmithing and musical arrangement seemed fit together well…especially with the lyric "...you cut, you cut my strings. I show, I show you where; but you, yeah you don't care.” I think you can see a lot of Ryan's self-consciousness come out in our songs. I think he likes to call it self-deprecating and apologetic. He also tends to explore objectivity…if that makes sense? You hear him play out both sides of an argument to himself. There’s also the other angle where the lyrics are not about him or anyone he knows but more of an image he’s trying to paint for the listener.He will explore a concept and try to empathize with it...Sort of put himself in those shoes.Q: What is the creative process like for the band?A: For us, it usually starts out as a simple guitar riff, chord progression, or a lyric. With everything being online these days, it’s really easy to spitball ideas back and forth until something sticks. Typically, Chris and Ryan will go back and forth and elaborate on the original idea and build a few verses around it. Derek has a knack for arranging so he will then jump in and get everything where it needs to be. Collen comes in at the end and works out the rhythm section with Derek to tie it all together. Though we write a lot of songs, we try to do something different in each song to make it interesting and unique…especially in the bridge. For Drop Dead, Gorgeous…, since we recorded it entirely on our own, we had the luxury of being able to play around with different ideas and sounds that we normally wouldn’t have had time if we were on the clock in someone else’s studio. We had fun experimenting with synths, strings, keyboards, and of course more cowbell!

Q: What was the recording process like? Did you work with an engineer/producer?

A: With the exception of the drums, this album was recorded entirely in our home studio. While it was a huge learning curve for us (and most likely why it took us almost four years to complete – ha!), it really gave us the time to think about the songs as a whole. We were able to layer parts and add various textures. Oftentimes we would lay something down and sit on it for a week or two…and then come back and entirely redo it. While the whole process ended up being a lot of fun, it definitely took us down some rabbit holes. As far as engineering goes, we are fortunate to live in Baltimore with so many talented likeminded musicians. We linked up with a great local engineer and musician Ryan Matchett. Ryan engineered the record and helped us with the drums. Another friend and musician, Alex Lakis took care of mastering the record. They both were able to guide us through the recording process and pick us up and dust everything off when we took a wrong turn. It was an amazing collaborative effort and we learned a lot in the process.

Q: What else should be know about Sepia?

A: Hmmm…well, in addition to making music, Ryan is a pretty decent home brewer and we are making a signature “Sepia” mead and hard cider which we are all excited about!